BOSTON, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) –Lou Pelletier, the father of 15-year-old teenager Justina Pelletier is speaking out against a Tuesday ruling in which a judge gave permanent custody to Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

A juvenile court judge ruled that the Department of Children and Families has “permanent” custody of Justina, until May 25, according to the Pelletier family’s attorney, Matt Staver.

“She needs to be home,” Lou told FOX 25’s Maria Stephanos. “She is mentally, and more importantly physically, dying under the care of the state of Massachusetts.”

On May 25, the judge will then revisit the issue of who is granted custody of Justina in another follow-up court hearing.

Staver said the Pelletier family will now pursue an appeal to send the case to a higher court.

“This is not justice for Justina, or the family,” Staver said.

The Connecticut teen was treated at Children’s Hospital in Boston for almost a year and was previously in Children’s locked psychiatric unit for treatment.

Pelletier was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease years ago – a condition causing muscle pain and weakness. Then, almost a year ago, she was admitted to Children’s with the flu.

At the hospital, her parents say a different set of doctors diagnosed her with “somatoform disorder,” in short, saying she suffered from a mental illness, not mitochondrial disease, and that her symptoms were psychologically induced. The hospital took her off all of her medications, Lou Pelletier said.

When her parents reportedly disagreed and asked for a second opinion, they lost custody of their daughter. DCF was called in after just four days. The parents haven’t had custody since last February.

“Based on credible psychiatric and medical evidence this court has found that Justina suffers from a persistent and severe Somatic Symptom Disorder,” the judge stated.

In December, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families determined that Justina’s parents, Linda and Lou, neglected Justina, and that “return of custody of Justina to her parents was not in her best interest.”

Justina’s parents, the judge continued, “engage in very concerning conduct that does not give this court any confidence they will comply with conditions of custody.”

The decision finished by stating that the judge is ready to help return Justina to her “home state of Connecticut,” but did not specify whether that meant her home, or a placement in a Conn. DCF facility.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families released a statement on the judge’s ruling on Tuesday evening.

“DCF’s primary goal has always been the health and well being of Justina, and finding a solution that would allow her to return to Connecticut. That has not changed in the face of this ruling,” the statement read. “The Department is exploring all options that will allow Justina to return to her home state where she has the support of her friends, family, school and community.”

Protective Mothers Alliance International (PMA) has launched Unstoppable Mothers, a powerful photo and essay project to give voice to Protective Mothers and their Children.

The photos depict the loss and grief a Protective Mother experiences when she is forcibly separated from her child(ren) due to family court injustice, the events she missed in the life of her child or abuser quotes.

The essays, in Protective Moms’ own words, are common real life family court situations. Protective Mothers reveal the most outrageous action a judge took in their case.and/ OR, the Protective Mom shares what she has missed most about not being in her child’s life and/or the Protective Mom shares her abuser’s quotes.

PMA International will put the Unstoppable Mother’s quote on a sign , an appropriate picture or an image for the project.

Some signs with quotes will be combined with missed milestone pictures taken by PMA International’s talented protective mothers, highlighting their creativity and photography skills.

Some feedback about “Unstoppable Mothers'” photo and essay project;

“Beautiful photography by talented PMA protective mothers, coupled with heartbreaking real life stories of loss in the mothers’ own words. Another stunning PMA Intl. project to raise awareness. TY Janice, Lundy and all the PMA moms!!”
G.S

“Participating in this project was very empowering and gave me hope”
S.C

“Thank you for capturing a protective mother’s powerful story through her own words and beautiful pictures .”
M.J

“Thank you for giving us moms a voice along with gorgeous visuals from talented protective mothers.”
K.R

” Powerful”
J.S

Now that we all understand how to participate and what the ground rules are for this project, Protective Mothers’ Alliance International invites you into our project; a window to our world. We ask you to brace yourselves, step slowly into our shoes, carefully take a step , steal a tiny glimpse , and taste a tiny bite of what life is like as a protective mother. An unstoppable protective mother, enduring one of the darkest atrocities known in the history of our civilization.

Investigators from several places around the world say former Cape Coral attorney Rex Powell was the leader of a ring which had a chat room called BoyLover.net which had 70,000 members until it was shut down.

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Protective Mothers Alliance International (PMA International) is a international protective mother-driven organization that includes a global network of like-minded organizations working as a team for positive change.Protective Mothers Alliance International (PMA) is co founded by Lundy Bancroft and Janice Levinson, with Janice Levinson as Executive Director. The PMA INTL family consists of protective mother-driven advocates working together as a tight team for change.PMA INTL is working toward bringing about dramatic reform in family court for protective mothers and their children. PMA INTL. supports the efforts of protective mothers in keeping themselves and their children safe from the abuse of a former partner, and in empowering these mothers to become advocates for themselves and others. PMA INTL. has several networks/groups including but not limited to: Man Up for Moms (M.U.M), Hear us NOW!! ( H.U.N) Healing and Prayer, STOP DV by Proxy.PMA INTL's very successful blog talk radio shows had over 6 thousand listeners . PMA INTL's blog entitled: "The Guardian of Truth" continues to be an effective vehicle for education about family court abuse/ corruption. Protective Mothers Alliance INTL. has launched a gold ribbon campaign in an effort to reunite protective mothers and their children who have been separated by the family court.We invite all advocates and their allies around the globe to wear gold ribbons and to tie gold ribbons around trees, to symbolize the effort that protective mothers and their allies are making to reunite children with their moms.
Please join us in supporting this campaign. " The beautiful memories that we have of our beloved children are golden and can NEVER be erased from our hearts and minds."

A STORY OF HOPE: THE LETTER THAT SURVIVED 9/11/ BY YUKA YONEDA / INHABITAT This story was originally published on September 11, 2014 “Remarkably it survived when so much else did not,” said businessman Raviv Shtaingos about a red envelope he decided to pick up on September 11, 2001 as he fled from Lower […]